If there is something that workers are eager to know – it is to be clear on what is a social movement or a United Front?
Some say it’s a concept that deals with the mushrooming of socially-conscious political parties to be voted in, in 2014, others define it as parties or associations that consider workers interests or it might just be parties for workers or both or…
Numsa’s Deputy General Secretary, Karl Cloete cleared the confusion when he addressed delegates at the Engineering Sector’ National Bargaining Conference in March.
“The United Front is a mobilising tool to organise the working class around working class issues and to build working class confidence, and working class consciousness for working class power.
“The United Front is not a political party but it is about demanding the implementation of the Freedom Charter,” he explains.
With regards to the Movement for Socialism, the Special National Congress, in 2013, declared: “that the South African working class is in need of an independent working class party since the South African Communist Party has forsaken the working class.”
Numsa is to conduct an international study of working class parties.
The United Front shall be built through struggle not in board rooms, says Cloete.
The protest at Parliament on February 26 during the budget speech and the strike on 19 March launched the United Front are examples of such struggles, he added.
These processes are Numsa-led and supported by its allies.
On voting, Cloete said, Numsa members were free to vote for a party of their choice.